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American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten has launched an eight-city tour to learn about and promote innovative education practices. Weingarten was joined by Education Secretary Arne Duncan for her first stop, St. Louis, where she pushed for support for a new program that gives veteran teachers more time to mentor rookies.

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The country's schools say they are prepared for the worst if predictions of another swine flu outbreak are correct, but they do not believe there will be widespread school closures as there were during the last outbreak. For one thing, the federal government has urged schools to use caution when deciding whether to close their doors, and some schools say they will not close unless they do not have enough staff and students to operate.

Teachers can help their states secure part of the $4.35 billion in federal education stimulus funding known as the "Race to the Top" fund, Alexandra R. Moses writes. The money is expected to go to the states that pledge reform and innovation. Moses writes that teachers should be vocal about successful strategies they are using, promote themselves and their schools and use any opportunity to discuss ideas with school and union leaders and lawmakers.

The Alabama school board is still pushing for a teacher ethics code to become part of state law, even though the a teachers union opposes it and a legislative panel recently agreed that the code was too vague. The union offered amendments to the measure, but the board chose to make no changes.

Some Minnesota teachers say they support a new program in their district that allows their peers to evaluate them, according to a superintendent. Under the program, all teachers create an annual Professional Development Plan, and nontenured teachers will receive more-frequent peer evaluations.

A Florida district's recently adopted education standards, which include a push for more National Board Certified Teachers, will improve student learning, according to this editorial, but state support is needed for the plan to be effective. The federal stimulus money for education preserved Brevard County teaching jobs and funding for National Board Certification, but when that money is gone in two years, the editorial contends, the state will have to step in with more funding.